Blackalicious
Blazing Arrow

From the smart school of hip-hop comes California’s
Blackalicious — a rap act free of the faux thuggery and East Coast vs. West
Coast nonsense that has hindered many rappers from rising to the next artistic
level. On the group’s second LP Blazing Arrow, MCs Gift of Gab and Chief
Xcel share acrobatic, tongue twisting rap vocal duties with guest singers Gil
Scott Heron (on First in Flight) and Ben Harper (on Brain Washers).
Although the album is overly lengthy, the clever wordplay and innovative rhyming
schemes will leave even the harshest rap critics filled with respect. I was won
over by the marvelous Harry Nilsson sample on the breathtaking title track. ˝